Tennis Wales hopes to reopen the Welsh National Tennis Centre - but hits out at 'frustrating' city council

Tennis Wales said it has proposed a different operating model to Cardiff council for the centre on Ocean Way which closed last August

Wales National Tennis Centre run by Virgin Active Health & Racquets Club is too close

Tennis Wales said it hopes its proposal to reopen the Welsh National Tennis Centre in Cardiff will be considered by the local council.

Cardiff council said last week that it is considering a range of options for the future use of the centre on Ocean Way.

The centre closed in August after former operator Virgin Active said it was no longer financially viable and surrendered its lease with the council.

Tennis Wales, the governing body of tennis in Wales, said it has made a proposal to the council for the centre to be run in a different way similar to the not-for-profit company running the Swansea Tennis Centre.

Tennis Wales chief executive Peter Drew said the Cardiff centre was previously run as a commercial members club and that they would instead look to see people paying minimal fees to create mass participation.

But Mr Drew said Cardiff council has been “non-committal” to the proposal. He said: “They keep referring back to the centre not being successful under the last two operators which we find frustrating because that as a model had no chance of success. We are confident that we know the best way of running it.

“We’ve done all the research and surveys showed that up to 40,000 people in Cardiff would be interested in playing tennis if the facilities were there. That’s what we’ve put to the council but there’s not much more we can do.”

He added: “Unfortunately that centre was the only potential public access pay and play facility in Cardiff. There really is a lack of facilities and that’s frustrating.”

Mr Drew said it would be “disappointing” if the council decided to use the centre for other non-sporting uses. He said: “What we would hope is that if the council made that decision the council would work with us and the Lawn Tennis Association to develop another centre.”

A Cardiff council spokesman said: “The council is actively working with interested parties with the aim to maintain provision of sports and recreational facilities.”

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